Transmission



May 19, 1953 J. P. ROGERS TRANSMISSION Filed Feb. 14, 1952 INVENTDR JEIHN 1? R0 [22125 ATTURNEY Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSMISSION John P. Rogers, Liverpool, N. Y., assignor to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 14, 1952, Serial No. 271,474

Clalms. (of. 74-368) This invention relates to transmissions, and particularly a reversible transmission adapted to deliver two speeds. r i

In an application Serial No. 174,536, filed July 18, 1950, there is disclosed a transmission adapted to deliver two speeds in one direction, and a single speed when reverselyl operated, the transmission being actuated by a single control movement. The present invention is directed to an improvement thereover in which a combined jaw clutch and single overrunning clutch are employed for changing the output speed and for providing a reverse drive. The present invention is directed toward providing-for a more rugged. positive and simplified construction, avoiding the use of a multiplicity of overrunningclutches, in which speed selection is attained by a single movement of a common clutch actuator.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expresslyunderstoodthat the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the transmission, several turns of the helical spring being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; a

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of one of the clutch elements and its splined collar. Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a casing formed in two parts, In and I I, having journaled therein a drive shaft I2 and a driven shaft l4, the shafts being in parallel spaced relation with one another. Mounted on the drive shaft l2 and keyed thereto is a high speed gear [8, and formed integral with the shaft is a low speed pinion [8. In constant mesh with the high speed gear I6 is a driven gear 20 mounted upon the shaft l4 and adapted to rotate freely thereon. The low speed pinion I8 is in constant mesh with a low speed driven gear 22 journaled for free rotation upon a collar sleeve 24 secured to the driven shaft I4 by a set screw as at 26.

The driven gear 22 is provided on its left hand face with a plurality of spaced radial lugs 28 in the form of a jaw clutch, which lugsare adapted 2 to beengaged by a slidable jaw clutch member 30 having mating radial jaw clutch lugs 32. The member 3|] is slidably disposed upon the driven shaft l4 and splinedas at 3| upon a forked collar member 34 which is keyed to the driven shaft as at 36 and fixed thereto as by a set screw 39. The driven high speed gear 20 has secured to it in a recess 31, a spiral overrunning clutch coil 38, the free end of which extends over the collar portion 40 of the forked collar member 34. The clutch member an is provided at one end with an internal conical face 42 adapted to engage the free end of the helical clutch spring 38 in order to cause the same to contract upon the clutch collar surface 40.

To change speedratios from low to high speed or vice versa, the shaft I4 has an axial bore 44 extending from oneend thereof to a central region, at which point there is provided a transverse axial extending slot diametrically disposed through the shaft I4. A control rod 48 extends through the hollowbore 44 andis provided with a T-head or transverse pin member 50 lying within the slot 46. The T-member projects at its opposite ends beyond the shaft diam-. eter as at 52 and 54, and such ends are adapted to engage the end surfaces 56 and 58 of diametrically opposed splines 3| on the clutch member 30. Such end surfaces are cut back axially to provide space for the pin 50. The sleeve collar 24 is provided with a shoulder bore 60 facing toward the clutch member 30, said shoulder bore providing an annular recess for containing a biasing compression spring 62 positioned around the shaft l4, such spring being in compression between the end of the shoulder bore fill and the splines 3| of the clutch member 30. By the arrangement thus described, it will be seen that the clutch member 30 is normally urged to the left to the position as shown in Figure 1, With the cone face 42 in engagement with the helical overrunning clutch spring 38. Thearrangement thus shown normally provides for high speed drive of the driven shaft in the direction of arrow B through the gear train formed by drive and driven gears 16 and 20., a

Actuation of the rod 48 to the right through any convenient lever arrangement, as indicated at 64, shifts the clutch member 30 to the right, interengaging the clutch teeth 32 with the teeth 28' on the driven slow speed gear 22. When the clutch teeth are thus engaged, the low speed gear train is adapted to drive the driven shaft at low speed in: either direction. It will appear that the forked collar member 34 which is keyed and secured to the driven shaft 14 is driven either by the high speed gear 26 through the overrunning clutch spring 38 in the direction of arrow B, or by the clutch member 30 through the interengaging splines 56, 58, and segmental fork elements 66 on the forked collar member 3% in either direction, the clutch member 39 being driven by tetl'ifiiarid =3? from slow'speedg'ear In order to faeilitate' the engagement of the clutch teeth 32 and 28 following high speed rotation of the driven shaft 14 through the overrun ing clutch spring 38, the teeth 32 of the clutch member are relieved 0r beveled as at 68. With the helical overrunning clutch string extending in the direction shown in Fi ure 1, high see-ed drive will be effected when rotation of the drive shaft 12 is in the direction (ii-arrow A, and rotaparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a two-speed transmission, a housing, spaced parallel drive and driven shafts journaled in said housing, a high speed gear train and a low speed "gear train havingifdrivirig gears; keyed on said drive-shaft and driven gears freely rotatably mounted on said driven shaft, a member slidably mounted on said driven shaft between the driving gears of said gear trains and keyed for rotation of the driven shaft in the direction of arrow g B. The conical face 42 of the clutch meiiiteren will frictionally engage the free end of the helical coil 38 and "cause the e to cdhtraet upon the sonar it of the'rorlied eonar member 31. Should for an reason a power failure occur, by reasonof which the drive shaft I2 tends to cease rotathan, it will be seen that the driven shaft 14 may continue to rdtate, and free wheel with respect to th nelicai edil sprin ea sueh spring under such ciinstances being caused te overrun and release its grip on the "collar 40.-

In 'normai'practice, the -clutch actuating ro'd'4'8 and lever-st be actuated to engage low speed drive by'a-so1eno'idaetingon lever 6'4, the solenoid being supplied by power from the same scarce that newer "is derived from to drive the main drive shaft I2. Thus, it winfiapriear that when low speed drive is efietted by interengagement of the clutch teeth 32 and 28 through energization of 'sdle'noid referred to, such drive will eontinue'so longasno owe'r failureocdurs. Iii the event (if a power failure, it will be seen that by reason of the bias of the coil spring 62 uponth'e clutch member -30, low s eed drive will be immediatelydiseonneeted. should the drive'at the time ntli'edirection corresponding to that'resultiiig frdm rotation of the driven shaft in the direction-oi arrow B, the dri'venshaft will again be pei-mit'ted'to overrun with respect to'th e high speed gear train *gear 20.

diive shaft is iriaintain'e'd centered in its bearings 'by split'thflistrings "Hi and 12, and'the drive "gear l'Q-inayalso be-located between split rings 'hl and 16. driven shaft is=maintained centered by the forked collar '34 hearing through driven gear *2!) and a split ring 18 at'the" opposite end. 'Tlie gear 22is located on the sleved'collar 24'between sp'lit rings'iill and' 82. practice,- the clutch*memberdlgby'reason of its complexstriicture, may be readily formed by sintere'd cop'per bearing powdered iron; Also in practice, the drive gear It: may benbr'e for quiet operation, and if desired, theteethon driven "gear '22 may be constituted by a fiber --ring carried by the "hub Structure andheIiGaIcut teeth may b'e 'einpldyed in eitliergear v j t The transmission is especially designed for use in an automatic washing niadhinedrive, where forward and reverse rotation are requiredatlow speed, and rotation "in one direction required at high-speed. I

While 'asingl'e embodiment of the invention has been 'illtistr'at'ed and described, it is to be understood that title invention is not limited thereto. As various changes inthe constructionand arrangement may be made without'depart in-g from-thespirit of the inventionnas will heap tion with the driven shaft, said member and the "6 won gear of said-flow speed gear train having a K jaw clutch teeth engaged by moving said irieiribertot'vard the low speed gear train, normally disengaged overrunning clutch means for coupling said high speed driven gear to said driven'sliaft, and means carried by said member for initially engaging said overrunning clutch upon movement of said member toward said high speed gear train,

2. In a two-speed transmission, a housing, spaced paralleldrive and'driven shafts journaled in said housing, a high speed gear train and a low speed gear train having driving gears keyed on one of said shafts and driven gears freely rotatably mounted on the other shaft, a member slidably mounted on said last-named shaft between said gear trains and keyed for rotation with said last-named shaft, said member and the gear coaxial therewith on said last-named shaft of said low speed gear train having interengageable jaw clutch teeth engaged b moving said member toward the lowspeed gear train, normally disengaged overrunning clutch means for coupling the high speed gear on said lastnamed shaft, and means carried by said member for initially engaging said overrunning clutch upon movement of said member toward said high speed gear train. g

3. In a twopeed transmission, a housing, spaced parallel dri-v'eand driven shafts journaled in said housings, high speed gear train anda low speed gear train having driving gears keyed on said-drive shaftand driven gears freely rotatably mounted on said driven shaft, said shaft having an axial bore and transverse connectingaperture, a clutch collar member slida'bly mounted on saiddri-ven shaft adjacent said connecting aperture-and between th drivin'g gearsof said gear trains and keyed for rotation with the driven shaft, said collar member and the driven gear of said low speed geantr'ain having interengageable jaw clutch teeth engaged by moving said collar member toward the low speedgear'train,

means for, yieldingly biasing said member for movement away from saidlow speed gear train, normally disengaged .overrnnning clutch means for couplingsaid high speed driven gear tosaid driven shaft, means carried by. said memb'erfor initially engaging said over-running, clutch upon movement of said'collar'j member toward said high speedgear train, andaxially'mova'ble means extending through said-bore and'l'iavi'nga transversemember lying in saidconnecting aperture, said transverse mem-ber engaging said "collar member-for axial actuation thereof against said biasingmeans. U g

' 4 m a two-speed transmission a housing, spaced parallel drive and driven shafts journaled in said housing, a-hig-h-speed gear train and alow speed-gear train having drivingigears keyed 011:: one of said, shafts and driven gears freely ,ro'tatablysmonntedeonathe. othersshaft, saidshaft having an axial bore and transverse connecting aperture, a clutch collar member slidably mounted on said last-named shaft adjacent said connecting aperture and between said gear trains and keyed for rotation with said last-named shaft, said collar member and the gear coaxial therewith on said last-named shaft of said low speed gear train having interengageable jaw clutch teeth engaged by moving said colla member toward the low speed gear train, means for yieldingly biasing said member for movement away from said low speed gear train, normally disengaged overrunning clutch means for coupling the high speed gear on said last-named shaft, means carried by said member for initially engaging said overrunning clutch upon movement of said collar member toward said high speed gear train, and axially movable actuating means extending through said bore and having a transverse member lying in said connecting aperture, said transverse member engaging said collar member for axial actuation thereof against said biasing means.

5. A shaft assembly for a two-speed transmission comprising a shaft having an axial bore extending from one end to a central portion thereof and a transverse central connecting aperture, an abutment collar keyed to said shaft on one side of said aperture, an overrunnin clutch drive collar keyed to said shaft on the other side of said aperture, an axially shiftable collar, splined for rotation with said shaft mounted between said collars, said member having jaw clutch teeth on one side and overrunning clutch actuating means on the other, a gear rotatable on said abutment collar having jaw clutch teeth adapted to mate with said member teeth, a gear rotatable on said shaft adjacent said drive collar and having a helical overrunning clutch spring secured thereto and extending over said collar toward the overrunning clutch actuating means of said member, a compression coil spring on said shaft between said member and abutment collar, biasing said member in one direction, and actuating means having a transverse member engaging bar on its end lying in said bore and aperture, adapted to move said member against said spring.

JOHN P. ROGERS.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,140,975 Welch Dec. 20, 1938 2,156,698 Martin May 2, 1939 2,191,609 Dodge Feb. 27, 1940 2,456,600 Trout Dec. 14, 1948 

